Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-04-09

II. l.. Wallace, &'SS$SsS ~ N n N asSS
posted Col. futile GEN W. II. L. WALLACE.
with the Second, Seventh, Twelfth and
Fourteenth Iowa regiments on his right,
and Col Sweeney with the Eighth Iowa,
Seventh, Fiftieth, Fifty-second, Fifty
seventh and Fifty-eighth Illinois regiments
on the right OF Col Tuttle. Sweeney's
right reached the edge Of a wide, deep
ravine filled with inpenetrable thickets
extending far to his rear and running into
the ravino of Brier creek. Such was the place
that became famous among the Confedcrates
as "The Hornets Nest"
The first assault made was by Gladdens
brigade; and now begin series of some of
the most desperate engagements OF the battle.
Gen. GLADDEN. having been mortally wounded
In the charge of the early morning, the COM
mand devolvth on Col. Adams. The line is
barely formed at 10 o'clock, when the southern
men are seen confidently advancing through
the dense thickets against the unseen foe.
They are permitted 10 come well within range,
when suddenly there flashes from 5000 rifles
q blaze Of fire. The deep notes of Hicken-
loopers guns mingle with the treble OF the
small arms that eclioes through the forest, and
the gray canopy of smoke that rests above the
scene tells where death Is being scattered on
every side. The well known "rebel yell"
rings out as the column presses forward and
the ground is dotted with the wounded and
dead. But the leaden storm beats in their faces
with flerceness that nothing human can with
stand, and the crippled brigade recois to tho
cover of the woods. Gen. A. p Stewards COM
mnnd of Folks corps is now sent forward,
and once, twice, thrice, 1t repeats the grand
effort to carry the position, but with no bet
ter success than before. Gen. Gibson's
brigade Of Bragg's corps surges in and takes
its place. Again that hurricane of lead. The
angry balls 1y in showers and seem to bear
q death warrant in every deviish screech.
An enflading fire from the battery cuts down
the men by ranks like swaths of grass under
the mowers scythe, and vet Others continue
to step into the path of death with cheerful
alacrity, it seems, and fall with battle cry
upon their lips Three times has Gibson
charged, and three times been repulsed. Gen.
Bragg now impatiently directs one Of his
STAFF, Col. LoclSett, his chief engineer, to ride
forward to a central regiment that has been
driven back, and carry its colors to the
front "The flag must not 90 back again, +"
he said. The officer. obeying the order,
! dashes through the line of battle, seizes
| the colors from the color bearer and exclaims:
"Gen. Bragg says thea colors must not 60
| to the rear" While he Is talking the color
sergeant is shot down. An officer approaches
with a bullet hole in each cheek the blood
streaming from his mouth and asks: "What
| ulG YOU WIFI A-i NOloir, Sn l. ia
obeying Gen. Braggs orders to hold them
where they are" "Let me have them," was
the reply; "if any man carries these colors
but the color bearer, | am the man. Tell
| Gen. Bragg that viii see that these colors
are in the right place. But he must attack
| this position in flank we can never carry il
alone from the front" The officer who spoke
commanded the Fourth Louisiana, and in
stantly riding back to Gen. Bragg to empha-
| ci1a fba fataHTiOnC rapIlpct mazda olfil lp1y
by Cen Gibson, he was met with the stern
answer: "Col Allen, | want no faltering
now!" Stung to the quick, he returned to his
regiment and once more there was wild
hunying wave of men rolling up that fatal
slope only to be dashed to death. 1t was
splendid murderl Col. Allen afterward be-
came Governor Allen, of Louisiana Such
were the kind of men whom Prentiss and
Wallace fought ON that eventful day from
in the morning until 5 o'clock in the after.
noon before one was captured and the other
killed.
Finding that the position could not be car.
| ried by direct assault, Bragg now determined
on combined flank movement. First, all
the guns within reach were brought up and
concentrated on the one little battery, stand
ING at the salient point where Prentiss and
Wallace joined, that had reaped such a
harvest among the lines of the enemy. Be
fore this terrible fire, Rickenlooper was com
PEELED to withdraw. By 4:30 O'Clock fight
ing in front of Sherman and McClenand
having ceased, Gems. Cheatham, Trabue
johnson and Russell, seeing that Wallace
could not be approached across the dense
thicket filling the great ravine which pro
tected his right felt their way to the plateau
in his rear, where they met the combined
forces under Bragg in front of HurlbutI
camp. Moving thus against the remnants Of
the two divisions, they inciosed them almos
In circle; struggle ensued, but further re
sistance was useless, and the brave Wallace
was mortally wounded The Second ant
Seventh Iowa, led by Col. Tuttle, now cut
their way out and reached Pittsburg Land
ing, but Prentiss, true to his orders from
Gen. Grant, firmly remained at his post, anC
shaving lost everything but honor, sur
rendered bis little band 1t comprised 2,20
men. And so ended the famous fight in 'th
hornets nest"